Happy 100th Birthday Wembley

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Happy 100th Birthday Wembley: Wembley Stadium, connected by EE, is 100 years old this year.

Since it first opened its doors on April 28, 1923, the venue has been home to some of the most historic and memorable moments of the last century.

Happy 100th Birthday Wembley

Happy 100th Birthday Wembley

From the famous white horse of the 1923 FA Cup Final to Bobby Moore lifting the World Cup in 1966, Freddie Mercury at Live Aid in 1985, through to Chloe Kelly’s extra time winner in 2022 – Wembley has been at the centre of it all.

Now, as England’s national stadium prepares to celebrate its 100th birthday, the nation is being encouraged to share in the anniversary celebrations by submitting their most memorable moments of the iconic venue. Click Link here

Stadium Director Liam Boylan said: “Wembley holds a space in people’s hearts for many different reasons. It is the place where heroes perform and idols are worshipped. The place where big things happen, and history is made.

“It is also about those special, personal moments too. Seeing your side win or lose, a child’s first game or witnessing a favourite band or artist perform. We want people to share those moments with us and let us know why Wembley is so unique to them.”

Although synonymous with football, Wembley has hosted a variety of sports throughout its history. Everything from the Olympics (1948 and 2012) to world title boxing fights, NFL clashes, speedway, show-jumping, Gaelic football, hurling, motorsport and greyhound racing. It has also held rugby matches of both codes and was a venue for the 2015 Rugby (Union) World Cup finals’ tournament.

Wembley hosted its first music event in 1969 and since then has gone on to be recognised as a world-renowned concert venue. Madonna, Beyoncé, Elton John, Bruce Springsteen, Pink Floyd, Take That and U2 have all graced the stage at Wembley. In more recent times Adele, The Killers, Foo Fighters, BST, Eminem and Ed Sheeran have also performed there.

Perhaps its most famous musical moment though was the Live Aid concert in 1985, which was broadcast live to more than one billion people across 110 countries. More than 75 artists performed on stage that day with Queen, led by Freddie Mercury, putting on a memorable performance which to this day is still considered the greatest stadium show by a band ever.

The stadium itself has undergone huge change throughout its history. In 2001 the original building, with its famous twin towers, was knocked down to make way for a more modern structure, fit for the future.

The new Wembley took almost six years to build. When it did reopen for the 2007 FA Cup Final the contemporary, 90,000 all-seater stadium, capped with a 315-metre arch, was deemed one of the grandest stadiums in the world. A new era dawned, and the historic moments continued.

Wembley hosted the 2011 and 2013 Champions League finals and in 2024 it will hold a record eighth final. It was also home to the men’s EURO final in 2021 and the Lionesses famous victory at EURO 2022.

Last year more than 2.6 million people visited the stadium for a record-breaking number of events including multiple nights from musicians Ed Sheeran, Coldplay and Harry Styles.

Boylan added: “Wembley is an iconic landmark that defines English culture and history. It holds a position in the national psyche as much as places like Buckingham Palace, Stonehenge and the Houses of Parliament.

“Over the next 12 months we want to celebrate that fact and look forward to another 100 years of fantastic, history making defining moments.”

For more information about Wembley’s history and to submit your most memorable Wembley moment, visit www.wembleystadium.com/about/wembley-100

All those who submit an entry will be entered into a prize draw with three pairs of VIP tickets to a Wembley event of your choice from April 1 – December 31.

Visit www.wembleystadium.com for more information about the history of Wembley and to keep up to date with the Wembley 100 celebrations. You can also follow all the action at #Wembley100 on social media.

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STIHL enhances care and clean kit range

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STIHL enhances care and clean kit range: STIHL has extended its range of care and clean kits with the launch of the MS and MS PLUS, suitable for all petrol, cordless and electric STIHL chainsaws.

Both MS and MS PLUS care and clean kits feature the new VarioClean Eco, a universal cleaning agent made from natural raw materials, which are compatible with all chainsaw surfaces such as polymer, metal, rubber and aluminium.

STIHL enhances care and clean kit range

STIHL enhances care and clean kit range

The ECO-Cert certified cleaning agent is suitable for removing oil, resin, and grease from all parts of the chainsaw, including HD2 air filters. Users simply spray on VarioClean Eco to the relevant chainsaw area and leave for five minutes before wiping it down with a damp cloth or brush.

In addition, both kits also boast a wooden handled cleaning brush, which features plastic bristles and a metal blade. This ensures the brush is suitable for removing dirt from the guide bar groove, cleaning the oil bores, loosening stubborn dirt from the sprocket cover, as well as loosening dust build up on cylinder fins.

The MS Plus care and clean kit features a wash bag that can be used as a microfibre cloth or alternatively a cleaning glove, which offers more effective cleaning of HD2 filters. Once the HD2 filter has been sprayed with VarioClean Eco and left for five minutes, simply put the filter in the wash bag and wash at 600C as users would their PPE.

The launch of the MS and MS Plus care and clean kits follows STIHL’s recent launch of service kits for petrol handheld tools that enable professional and domestic owners to carry out simple routine engine maintenance themselves, increasing their tool’s reliability and longevity.

For more information on STIHL’s new MS and MS PLUS care and clean kits, please visit www.stihl.co.uk.

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Aspen fuels a cleaner way of working

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Aspen fuels a cleaner way of working: As one of the largest associations of its kind, Orwell Housing provides housing for more than 7,500 residents by managing over 4000 properties across East Anglia.

Powering the maintenance services, as well as helping to lower the associations carbon footprint, is 2 and 4-stroke petrol from Aspen Fuel – a switch made by Repairs and Estates Manager Simon Bennett three years ago, and one that’s delivering improvements on a daily basis to the workforce, the residents and the machinery alike.

Aspen fuels a cleaner way of working

Aspen fuels a cleaner way of working

Simon manages all elements of the direct labour operations (DLO) from co-ordinating the 75-strong workforce to sourcing and purchasing equipment across the repairs and estates division. “We renew our machinery every three years” explains Simon, who has been with Orwell Housing for ten years. “To help us with our objective or carbon neutrality, some of what we now invest in is battery powered but, with the diversity of items like mowers and woodchippers that we have on our fleet, for these we’re looking at better and cleaner ways of fuelling them and that’s where Aspen comes in.”

“I was familiar with Aspen Fuel but always just assumed it would be much more expensive for us than pump fuel. It wasn’t until I sat down and did a cost analysis, factoring in the downtime of the team going backwards and forwards to the forecourt, that I could demonstrate Aspen was a viable choice.” Being ethanol-free and virtually free from sulphur, benzene and other hazardous hydrocarbons, Aspen alkylate petrol burns cleaner than regular petrol making it safer and greener for operators, machinery and the environment.

“The operators like using it – they notice the reduction in noxious fumes and don’t go home smelling of petrol come the end of the day. This is also a major plus for those tasks where we’re in close proximity to the residents.” He continues, “Three years in, we’re also seeing a big reduction in the number of machinery breakdowns we’re experiencing with is a further cost saving.”

Overall, Simon feels the whole Aspen experience has been really positive for the group. “We order Aspen in bulk, with the cans being collected by the team as and when they need them. This way, we can easily monitor usage and, with the plastic containers being fully recyclable, we are also reducing our output to landfill. I’ve recently done another cost analysis, which has shown that purchasing Aspen has actually decreased our annual fuel bill by approximately 10-15%.”

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Agrovista Amenity becomes BIGGA patron

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Agrovista Amenity becomes BIGGA patron: Agrovista Amenity is pleased to announce that it has become a gold member of the BIGGA (British and International Golf Greenkeepers’ Association) Regional Patron Scheme for 2022/23.

As part of the scheme, Agrovista Amenity, a leading supplier of products and services to the UK amenity and landscape markets, will participate and support BIGGA in a series of events throughout the year including seminars, education workshops and golf days.

Agrovista Amenity becomes BIGGA patron

Agrovista Amenity becomes BIGGA patron

Commenting on the scheme, Head of Amenity John Marland said: “As a regional patron, Agrovista Amenity is proud to support BIGGA and help create outstanding learning and development opportunities for greenkeepers.”

Lauren Frazer, Head of Business Development at BIGGA, said: “Agrovista has been a highly valued supporter of BIGGA members for a number of years, helping provide development opportunities on a national scale, particularly through the popular Agrovista Amenity Academy. This online resource proved invaluable for many during the turmoil of the coronavirus pandemic, helping greenkeepers continue developing and improving their knowledge despite the difficulties we all faced.

“We are incredibly proud, therefore, to welcome Agrovista on board as one of our first Regional Patrons, which will enable the team to support BIGGA members on a local level and contribute to the hosting of the network of regional learning opportunities that we know many members find crucial for their professional development.”

For more information about Agrovista UK, visit www.agrovista.co.uk/amenity

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Etesia launches new Hydro 100 Ride-on Model

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Etesia launches new Hydro 100 Ride-on Model: Etesia UK has announced the launch of the new Hydro 100 MK124 ride-on mower.

The new Etesia Hydro 124 boasts all the features of the popular Hydro 100 but has a larger 124cm cutting deck.

PERFORMANCE

The new Hydro 124 boasts a modern hydrostatic drive transmission with differential lock for better driveability and greater safety. Its 18 HP twin-cylinder Kawasaki engine and its larger 16-litre tank give it more power and range. The cutting deck with rear central ejection combined with two counter-rotating blades, the high clearance bridge and the large box make it an undisputed standard-setter for mowing and collection in all weathers.

Etesia launches new Hydro 100 Ride-on Model

Etesia launches new Hydro 100 Ride-on Model

Furthermore, it has a large 500-litre grassbox that can be emptied in seconds thanks to its hydraulic pump.

COMFORT

Its ergonomic design, low noise emission and supple new drive give the user the best working conditions for professional applications. All the controls are accessible without leaving the driving seat.

The hydrostatic drive makes gradual movement extremely smooth, and the absence of a turbine considerably reduces the noise emission, for greater user comfort. Also, it is designed to offer maximum safety.

ROBUSTNESS

The 18 HP Kawasaki engine offers unparalleled power and optimum work efficiency. The chassis is fully treated for corrosion protection and can withstand the effects of the weather in harsh working conditions. The cutting deck is cast in a single piece of one-centimeter-thick aluminium, for extreme strength.

VERSATILITY

The Hydro 124 has a wide range of accessories for winter work and for cutting long grass.

All Etesia machines come with a 2-year professional warranty as standard.

For further information, please contact Etesia UK on 01295 680120 or visit www.etesia.co.uk.

For more news, reviews and insightful views, you can follow Etesia UK on Twitter @EtesiaUK and like the company’s Facebook page – www.facebook.com/EtesiaUK You can also view the latest Etesia videos by visiting www.youtube.com/EtesiaUK

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